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7 Paoli
| Issuer | Roman Republic |
|---|---|
| Year | 1798 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The note is set within a hatched rectangular border with a zigzag pattern. At the top centre, the republican motto is printed in two lines, flanked by two circular medallion vignettes: on the left, a standing female figure with the legend REPUBBLICA ROMANA, and on the right, a similar allegorical figure with the legend FEDE PUBLICA. A central eagle vignette with spread wings is positioned below the heading, above a cartouche inscribed with the denomination P. SETTE. The main text body in letterpress type states the assignat value of seven Paoli, mortgaged against ecclesiastical enfiteuthic properties under Article X of Law 23 of Fruttifero Year Six, followed by a manuscript payee line and an autograph signature. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed within the same hatched border as the obverse, with show-through of the obverse text visible in mirror image. The denomination is stated in bold letterpress at each of the four corners and flanking positions in alternating order. At centre, a triangular vignette with laurel branch ornaments encloses the numeral 7, with the inscription PAOLI SETTE arching above it. A handwritten signature appears below the central vignette. |
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| Comments |
The Roman Republic of 1798 was a French-backed revolutionary state that lasted barely seventeen months before papal authority was restored. These assignat-style notes were issued almost immediately upon the republic's proclamation, with the intent of funding an administration that had no established tax base and no bullion reserve. The 7 paoli denomination is an odd one — it appears designed to fill a specific transactional gap rather than conform to any tidy decimal scheme, reflecting the hybrid monetary arithmetic of a society still anchored to the old papal paoli system.
Printed locally under severely constrained conditions, the paper quality varies considerably across surviving examples.